The Lunatic Cafe (Anita Blake - Vampire Hunter

In this fourth Anita Blake novel our heroine no longer bears the marks of Jean-Claude or any other master vampire and is exploring a relationship with Richard, the middle school teacher. Of course there are problems: Richard is a werewolf whose pack leader is threatening to kill him, Jean-Claude will not take "no" for an answer and has a female vampire who wants to kill Anita, and Dolph wants help identifying the something that is killing lycanthropes (shapeshifters). "The Lunatic Cafe" is the name of the hangout where the werefolk meet and Anita is finding out more about their kind than she really wants to know. Good thing they want her help in finding out who is butchering their kind, although her involvement is certainly a mixed blessing.
As always with Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake novels, she managed to bring everything together by the end of the story. With each book in the series I become more convinced that the "Vampire Hunter" label is to attract fans of Buffy, but Anita is really an Animator (she was a Vampire Hunter in the time BEFORE the first novel) and these books are considerably more gruesome. One of the subplots in "The Lunatic Cafe" concerns a pornographic/snuff film with werewolves and a human girl, with Edward showing up to avenge her death. These are very intense horror novels and Buffy wannabees picking these up without having a clue as to what awaits them inside are not going to sleep for a week. Hamilton has created an alternative reality where monsters have legal rights, and she explores this world with creativity and intelligence. Her heroine endures a lot of physical damage in these books and the mysteries she investigates are always complex. This is a first rate hooror series that deserves its reputation and its growing following.

"The Lunatic Cafe" is Laurell K. Hamilton's fourth Anita Blake - Vampire Hunter novel and it is an enormously entertaining and fun-filled read. Non-stop action, stylish horror, and sensual delights mix seamlessly to create a page-turning novel readers won't soon forget. A word of warning though - all it takes is one visit to Anita's violent and seductive world and you'll be hooked. This addictive series will leave you craving more, until you've bought all 10 Anita Blake books regardless of whether you can afford them or not (it happened to me!).
This instalment in the series finds Anita, hard-boiled necromancer, animator, and vampire executioner, enjoying her budding romance with Richard Zeeman, junior high science teacher and alpha werewolf. But when she finds out that Richard is involved in a life and death struggle for leadership of the pack, she is furious with him for not telling her about it. However, Anita doesn't have long to dwell on it because, as always, more trouble comes her way.
The police beep Anita, requesting her expertise on a preternatural murder, but on her way to her car, Anita has a nasty run-in with Gretchen, one of Jean-Claude's vampires. Gretchen is hopelessly in love with the incredibly sexy Master of the City, Jean-Claude, and she sees Anita the one thing standing between her and her true love. Anita manages to get away, but not before Gretchen has promised to kill her!
Anita finally makes it to the murder scene, where the deceased appears to be the victim of a lycanthrope attack. Unfortunately, however, Anita has walked right into the middle of a police turf war between the local sheriff's dept. and her squad. Guns are drawn and harsh words exchanged before they come to a tense agreement and allow Anita to see the body.
Arriving home ready to end her night, Anita is forced into a meeting at the Lunatic Cafe with the current werewolf pack leader, Marcus. Surrounded by dozens of other were-creatures, Anita doesn't feel too secure, but Marcus has a strange request for her. Eight shapeshifters (lycanthropes) have disappeared recently, and Marcus wants Anita to find out what happened to them. She reluctantly agrees to look into it, and quickly becomes entwined in the strange and violent world of lycanthrope politics.
The story really takes off from here, sending the reader on a fabulous adventure alongside Anita as she deals with the two men in her life, fights off Gretchen the jealous vampire, helps the police solve their murder, and tries to find eight missing lycanthropes.
With so many different things happening at once, one might think that the book would become confused and hard to follow, but Hamilton skilfully ties all the different threads together into one fantastic story. Anita's adventures are always thrilling and suspenseful, sometimes quite sensual, and will keep readers glued to the pages.
Every visit with Anita and the gang is like a holiday to a magical new world, where you can forget all your troubles and get completely caught up in the alternate reality Hamilton creates so brilliantly. With its compelling characters and red-hot storylines, this is a series you do not want to miss. "The Lunatic Cafe" is a fabulous chapter in this exceptional series, so buy it today!

In this next installment of the Anita Blake series. When shapeshifters start coming up dead around the city Anita is pulled into more danger not to mention her dating life gets more complicated. I love this series very much and this book is just another great installment. Anita is a strong willed woman who knows what she wants and can get it while hunting vampires and raising zombies.

This is a wonderful book, okay, that's an understatement! I literally coudn't put this down. I read it in 2 days. The Lunatic Cafe works on so many levels.
There is something out there that's killing werewolf's, a good number of them as a matter of fact. So who do they call for help? Our favorite vampire slayer, and the raiser of the dead, Anita Blake. Things get complicated when she's fallen in love with a werewolf. As if that's not enough for our favorite slayer, there's a long line of people trying to kill her. What's a slayer to do? Find out who's killing the werewolves, and if anyone gets on her way, she's well armed and has a very good aim. Ofcourse, we can't forget about the Master Vampire of the City, Jean-Claude. He has an interesting proposal for Anita. Will she take it? Can she find out who's killing the werewolf? Can Edward help? To find out the answers, you need to pick up this book.
The char's are very impressive. With each book, Anita gets stronger and stronger. The tension mounts between Richard and Jean-Claude plays a important sub plot to this book. The reader will see how devoted Richard is to Anita, and how far he will go to protect her.
With this book, we get to see a new "mosnter". Okay, maybe "monster" is to strong of a word, but it fits.
Hamilton is a wonderful storyteller, this is a perfect example of what I mean. There are so many times I wanted to put it down, then there was a plot twist, and I had to find out what happened. The writing style that Hamilton has, keeps the reader glued to the page. I can promise you that if you start this book, you'll be fighting to put it down.
Sit back and enjoy the world that Laurell K. Hamilton creates.

This is the fourth book in Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series. While this book does have all of the wild action and gore that made the first three of the series great, I'm noticing a major shift in the focus of the storylines. The "romance novel" aspect of the relationship between Anita, Richard, and Jean-Claude becomes a more prominent element of the plot. In my opinion this takes something away from what should have been a wild, action-packed gorefest. For this book it is little more than a minor annoyance for me, but I can see how this could quickly turn me off from the series. If you're a fan of romance novels, this probably won't be much of an issue.

In this book we get a closer look at the inner workings of the werewolf community. Ms. Hamilton does an excellent job of establishing the internal order or the were community as I'm sure they'll continue to play a major role in future novels. I like how new creatures are continually being introduced. In this book we run into a Naga, which is some kind of immortal snake-man.

If you liked the first three Anita Blake books, give this one a shot. I like how Laurell Hamilton takes the framework of a murder-mystery, fills it with almost nonstop action, and provides enough room for her characters to really develop. A solid 4-star effort.

Up until this point, the main character in the series, Anita Blake, has been staying away from love. Anita is an animator and vampire slayer, who has been wooed for quite some time by the master vampire of the city, Jean-Claude. On the previous book, "The Circus of the Damned", we saw Anita moving away from the enchanting vampire to start searching for love in what she thought was a normal human. She was surprised when, after a vampire tore out the throat of his suitor, he did not die. Richard is a werewolf, and Anita is trying to reconcile this information with her own feelings for him. Anita's reluctant acceptance of love may have to do with the moment in time in which Laurell K. Hamilton wrote this book, since she was pregnant and delivered a baby girl named Trinity.
With each book, the reader gets a clearer idea about what the place in which Anita lives in is like. For example, we find out that there are creatures that we did not know existed in this world, like dragons, gargoyles and trolls. Also, we learn that discrimination against lycanthropes is illegal but existent nonetheless. In this case, everything starts when the husband of one particular lycanthrope shows up at Anita's office looking for help, since his wife is missing and he cannot go to the authorities for fear she will be fired if the "secret" comes out. In addition to this, Dolph, who works with the preternatural unit of the police department, summons Anita because there has been a murder of suspicious nature. Anita determines that the murder was committed by a shapeshifter, denomination that includes werewolves.
Besides the "usual" type of situations Anita faces, she has to deal with her relationship with Richard, and his battle for the leadership of the wolf pack with an alpha male called Marcus. Jean-Claude will not go away without a fight, and he is trying to get Anita to date him instead of the werewolf. To complete the picture, there is a female vampire that is in love with Jean Claude and thinks that the only way to get her prize is to eliminate her competition. Anita describes this situation perfectly: "Bully for me!"
Hamilton is perfecting a world and a character that grab the attention and the heart of the reader without letting go. As the story progresses, we learn more about Anita's past, her relationship with her mother, her previous experience with love, etc. Also, the reader comes to cherish some of the characters that at first seem unlikable, like Edward, the "gun for hire". A friend told me that the series will get kinkier as it progresses, and I already saw this happen in this book, but this change in tone matches perfectly the mood of the main character. The truth is, I cannot get enough of Anita Blake!

Once again, Laurell K. Hamilton hits a home run with this exceptional novel. The Lunatic Cafe is the fourth Anita Blake installment and my favorite thus far. Though this one has a bit of a slow start action-wise, it has a far more compelling plot that centers on Anita's personal life. Anita is dating Richard, something that doesn't sit well with Jean-Claude, the vampire Master of the City. Jean-Claude wants Anita as well and he, too, wants to date her. She's always said she wouldn't date one of the monsters, yet she is involved with a werewolf. But Richard has great human qualities. He is a schoolteacher, a genuinely nice guy, a boy next door of sorts -- minus the small fact that he's an alpha werewolf and that images of blood and violence in illicit sex videos turn him on. Jean-Claude is the proverbial bad boy -- a fearful leader and a shameless seducer who doesn't bother to hide his monstrous side, but irresistible all the same. In order to keep Jean-Claude from killing Richard, Anita acquiesces to his proposal of dating both men at the same time. But the reader knows that Anita is attracted to Jean-Claude, no matter how much she denies it. If this interesting little love triangle isn't bad enough, she has to find out why eight shape shifters and lycanthropes are missing. There are various twists throughout the novel...

This is the most exciting part of the series I've read thus far. Laurell K. Hamilton keeps you in suspense from beginning to end. Richard is a great character, but he's nowhere near as compelling and sensual as Jean-Claude. I am still hoping that he and Anita will get together. The building of tension is so slow it's torturous! But the aforementioned tension is delectable beyond compare. The characters are always excellent. The most interesting character in this series is Edward. He's a caricature of a character with an unreadable personality. Perhaps this is intentional, but I'm not sure. I hope to get to know this character in a deeper level in the future. Anyway, as said earlier, this is the best Anita Blake offering. I cannot recommend The Lunatic Cafe enough. A great summer read to enjoy resting on a hammock overlooking the sunset.

** spoiler alert **

I really liked the last 15% of the book and the resolution of the pack mess, it was the cleanest part of the story in terms of plot. The first part of the plot was confused and I felt like I was wondering aimlessly here and there. I also felt that Anita was really losing it and I resented her for the violence she unleashed without batting an eye and convinced she had every right to do it. I also resented her for saying yes to Richard's marriage proposal even when she had doubts about it. I liked Richard, and I think Jean-Claude ... was losing it too? I didn't see the point of the Gretchen girl and there was a lot of smoke in general and little fire. It was a fast read and at the end I can say I'm satisfied, but it's because in my opinion the last part of the book was really outstanding. There was a balance of gore and angst and a dark sexual tension that made up for all the Richard/Jean-Claude absurd date challenge.

This is the fourth in the Anita Blake series. Anita meets a client who wants her to find his wife, a secret werewolf. She then goes on a date with her new boyfriend, and discovers a secret about him. Hours later, Anita barely escapes with her life from a meeting with the chief werewolf, who asks her to find out why werewolves are disappearing. She is then called to an out-of-town murder site, where the victim has been ripped apart by a werewolf. Why are the redneck cops so eager to keep her out of this investigation?
I am reading these books in order, and although they are all unputdownable, it feels like they are getting better and better. The plots get more complex, and the characters get deeper. I think that Anita gets more and more attractive as we get to know her better - she was a one-dimensional tomboy earlier on, but she has filled out quite a lot since. In each book, we see a new set of interesting creatures, and more about the alternate World that Ms Hamilton writes about.
The only point of comparison that I have is the "Interview with the Vampire" series, which I also like. These books are more gory, but much lighter, with more interesting plots. The Anne Rice books are more sexy and sensual, but by this stage in the series, the Anita Blake books are starting to become quite sexy. So they are catching up in that respect, and as I say, I think that the pace and plotting is better than the Anne Rice books.

As with the previous three books in the series, this book is a tremendously fun read, mostly because the character of Anita Blake is one of the best characters in fiction since Randall P. McMurphy in "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest". The background world, the other characters, the plots and such are all okay, but nothing particularly out of the ordinary. It is Anita that makes this series work, and boy, does she.
This book was at least as good as the first three in the series, although I suspect that some fans will feel that it spent too much time (that is to say, any) on the soap opera that Anita's personal life is becoming, at the expense of the cover-to-cover action that we've come to expect. Others, myself included, will find the closer look at previously unexplored aspects of Anita's character fascinating, and will point out that there is no shortage of action here.
Although this is book four of the series, and I have read the previous three, I have the impression that one could read this book without having read the others without being hopelessly confused. Hard to say, though. Probably best to start with "Guilty Pleasures" and be safe.

Anita's relationship with Richard has started to get serious. A few months of dating and they couldn't be happier. After a string of missing lycanthropes, a proposal, a snuff film for the ages, and Jean Claude's ever persistent love for her, Anita has to figure out who to trust and what she really wants.

The Lunatic Cafe has to be my favorite novel thus far. I do wish Anita would be a little more open as a character, but then, she probably wouldn't be Anita any more, would she? I absolutely loved the interactions between her and Richard and I think that whole relationship has given me a better understand of where Anita is at this point in her life. An absolutely fantastic novel.

Anita Blake, intrepid vampire hunter, needs every silver bullet, help from friends and lots of luck in this episode (#4 in the series). Our gutsy heroine is knee deep in bodies, attacked from all sides and working hard to solve the mysterious disappearances of seven lycanthropes (shapeshifters/werewolves, etc.)

In between she tries to fend off advances from the Master Vampire while dealing with relationship adjustments with her almost-fiance, high school teacher and werewolf, Richard.

For anyone new to the series, be sure to catch the first three books to get the full flavor. They take place in modern St. Louis but with vampires, werewolves, witches and other exotic and powerful "monsters" integrated into society.

Sometimes I wanted to tape Anita's mouth shut before she got herself even deeper into trouble. There was no help for her smart remarks, but hey, we love her inner sensitivities, her outer brashness and her ability to keep going no matter how dire the situation.

Headlong action (the woman never sleeps), quite a bit of gore, and even some romance. Quite a read!

"The Lunatic Café" is the fourth book in the fantastic Anita Blake series. With each book that I read, I figure Laurell will start treading water at some point as it seems almost impossible to keep the action, humour and excitement that permeates this series running so constantly for such an extended period of time. I have to admit that I'm starting to see some cracks, but nothing that can take away from the sheer enjoyment these books provide.

In "The Lunatic Café", Anita's "services" have been called upon by the werewolf leader Marcus to help decipher the cause of the disappearance of eight missing werewolves. What makes this more than the average hunt is the fact that Anita's boyfriend Richard just happens to be the main contender to Marcus for leadership of the werewolf clan. To throw another spanner in the works, Jean-Claude, the master vampire of the city, has become somewhat jealous of Anita's relationship with Richard and begins to up the ante. Just like the first three books in the series, drama, horror, action and comedy relentlessly ensue.

Once again, the action comes thick and fast. Every single day in Anita's life involves monsters (vampires, werewolves, zombies and more), police investigations and her "day" job of raising the dead. Add in the fact that she's romantically linked to two men, tries to stay in shape and has social activities to attend to and you can understand why she simply cannot find the time to get any sleep. To be honest, it all makes for a fairly unbelievable reality, but you won't have time to think about it as you are subjected to one enthralling scenario after another in quick succession. Yet Laurell isn't resting on her ...um...laurels (sorry!) when it comes to this vividly created world. She introduces another creature with the Naga and hints at so much more (there's mention of faeries and dragons as living entities!). At times I feel like the author is simply making this all up as she goes along, but then she very cleverly has never set the rules of this alternate reality in stone, so she can pretty much take the series wherever she wants.

The cracks I mentioned earlier are mostly to do with the slightly repetitive nature of the dialogue. I'm certain this is simply due to Laurell trying to make each book accessible to readers that have not experienced Anita's previous encounters, yet it's getting a little annoying reading the same explanations and thought processes in each and every book. But I guess it can't be helped due to the nature of the series. I also find the love triangle between Anita, Richard and Jean-Claude to be somewhat tacky. Anita's reactions to the approaches of Jean-Claude are just ridiculous, despite the fact that they do create an interesting scenario going forward.

But "The Lunatic Café" is another great addition to a unique and absorbing series and despite obvious flaws and its pulpy nature, I can't help but recommend the adventures of Anita Blake to anyone that's interested in a combination of action, horror, fantasy with a twist of sexually charged romance.

Anita Blake, gung-ho vampire executioner, necromancer, zombie raiser and lycanthrope dater is back again with another thrilling mystery. This time Anita must find out who is killing shape-shifters. Anita manages to challenge and irritate practically everyone in this tale--the were-wolf pack her boyfriend belongs to, the police investigating the shape-shifter murders, her boyfriend, and of course Jean Claude, the powerful vampire that Anita loves to hate.

As usual, Anita thrives on getting beat up and rousted out of bed before she gets any shuteye. At least she drinks a lot of coffee and works out. Her sardonic sense of humor keeps her going but doesn't make her any friends.

Laurel Hamilton has created a hard-boiled detective hero from a petite Mexican-American with a magical talent of power over the dead and a penchant for firing a gun to keep her enemies in line. These series of novels at first glance are a quick entertaining read, but in the long run will be returned to again and again for a funny and sexy good time.

In this fourth book of the Anita Blake saga, Anita is called to a meeting of all the various were-leaders in St. Louis. Eight shifters have gone missing and since they don't want the press and police finding out, their only option is to go to Anita for help.

Anita has bigger problems on her hands though. Richard, alpha wer-wolf, proposed...and she said yes! So, she immediately regretted it- due to a bad cat fight with a jealous vamp- she still has to tell Jean-Claude. Her possesive and jealous vamp is none to happy. But with a strange and powerful new magic in the air when they touch, he is determind to win her back. Meanwhile , he has his own bargain with Richard.

Add the first appearance of series regular Jason, Edward with a were-porno flick, a polite yet vengeful swan, dippy township sherrif, skinned snake man, Zerbowski and Dolph in the hospital, and the addition of evil Raina and her sicko pal, Gabriel, and you have quite a good book. Also, for those who are re-reading the series, this is the book where Gretchen goes into the box. Bad vampire!

If you are just getting caught up in the life of Anita, hurry up! The other books in the series are:

Guilty Pleasures

The Laughing Corpse

The Circus of the Damned

Lunatic Cafe

Bloody Bones

The Killing Dance

Burnt Offerings

Blue Moon

Obsidian Butterfly

Narcissus in Chains

Cravings Anthology

Cerulean Sins

Bite anthology

Incubus Dreams

Micah

Danse Macabre

As I said in the first three reviews, Laurell K. Hamilton creates a new world of supernatural that keeps everybody hooked and enthrall new reader to picking a book and reading the series. I never get tired or bored of reading this series and I just keep on wanting more. This story continues with Anita's adventure as Executioner and a part of the RIPIT. What I also love about this story is the continuing struggle in the love department as Jean Claude and Richard fights over Anita's affection. Anita will be engaged in this book but there's a huge twist that you will love when you read it. Anita still continues to be dominant among the supernatural in spite the fact that she is still human. A combination of sarcasm, love affairs, brilliance and equality is what makes me stick to the series. If you love hardcore action with a little romance juggled in a supernatural creatures in the human world, Hamilton's series is the right choice for you!

Normally, I can't stand this genre; instead of something new, the cliches are just tossed together in a hash. But Laurell K. Hamilton keeps me coming back.
Part of it is the ongoing plot threads that go from book to book. Although these novels can stand alone, there are larger threads. Anita Blake's "romance" with Jean-Claude, the master vampire, for example, or the hints that Anita is something much stronger (and dangerous) than she or anyone else knows.
Another part is Anita. She isn't just a hard rock, lacking any humanity; she's really truly affected by the blood and death she's constantly surrounded by. She doesn't casually walk up to corpses, she has to compose herself before she looks. She's not callous, she's just able to hide her horror, fear and sadness better than most people. We only know because we're in her head.
"The Lunatic Cafe" is where the series, in my opinion, REALLY starts to pick up (read the other books "Guilty Pleasures", "The Laughing Corpse", and "Circus Of The Damned" first, it WILL help.) The soap opera kicks into high gear with a rather twisted little love triangle, not to mention some unfinished business between Anita and a vamp named Gretchen. Plus we get more of an introduction to the lycanthropes (werebeasts) of the city, their social structure, and the whole host of problems that go with THAT.
The novel itself is also pretty good, with the mystery at its center rather clever. Although she doesn't really play fair (we're not given much in the way of clues to possibly solve this mystery on our own), Hamilton does have a satisfactory solution. Like the other books so far, it's got a lightning-fast pace; poor Anita NEVER gets any sleep, something always happens to her.
This is, in the end, fun junk, great for airports, beaches, and the living room. They aren't classics, although they'd make great action movies, but the Anita Blake series is worth an occassional $7 now and again.

I started reading this series about three weeks ago, and though I have interspersed the books with other reading, I keep coming back to these. Since I started, every other book I read has been Anita Blake. Should I be worried that I'm growing a little obsessive with these? Have I spent too much of my time reading this series, when I could be reading something else? Should I change this system of alternating other novels with Anita Blake books?

Nah.

One nice thing, actually, about reading this series so quickly, and without many other novels coming in between these, is that I've been able to pay close attention to the ways that the characters have grown and changed. My wife brought it to my attention, as the largest complaint against this series is the way Anita changes somewhere in the next few books; many of Hamilton's fans found the change unwelcome, and they have spent the last few years going off the deep end, becoming a sort of internet Inquisition, always on the lookout for both the faithful few and the heretics who disagree with their assessment of the series' fall from grace; anyone who continues to like the series after the change, as my wife does, are in for torture, excommunication, and burning at the stake. Considering how much I like this series so far, and how often I agree with my wife's assessment of books -- and how much I, as a writer and observer of human behavior, enjoy watching good writers deal with genuine characters -- I can pretty safely assume I'll like the coming change. I expect my own crucifixion will be coming soon -- maybe on this review. At any rate, knowledge of the controversy has made me more aware of the steady changes happening in Anita, and I love that those changes are there for me to observe.

The big changes in this book: she agrees to marry Richard, sort of -- which was a huge mistake; she said yes in the heat of the moment, when he's looking all hot and sexy, and that's always a bad time, though she rightly points out that he shouldn't have asked her then -- and then takes it back shortly afterward when she has second thoughts. I liked that because it was very real and very human; I also like that I feel a little conflicted over Anita's largest personality clash with Richard. That clash is over her absolute refusal to bend to his will, while simultaneously demanding that he bend to hers. I understand it: she has fought very hard for control of her life, and she still fights, against forces that are constantly arrayed against her: the police bureaucracy and general attitude (not shared by the RPIT cops, thankfully) that a woman and a civilian should be doubly separated from police matters; the overwhelming presence of Jean-Claude and his desire for her both as lover and servant, and her own traitorous desire for him; Bert and the demands of her job, both those that genuinely come with the territory and also those Bert unreasonably puts on her against her will. All of these things, along with the several other monsters who keep trying to control her and force her to do their bidding, have made her hypersensitive to giving in to anyone in anything; look at what happened when she allowed Jean-Claude even a moment of control over her. This means she has an incredibly difficult time in compromising with Richard, in allowing him into her life, since that means allowing him to have power over her -- and what's worse, accepting that control willingly, not begrudgingly as she does in every other instance that someone controls her. I understand that desire for independence, though I . . . can't remember where I've encountered it before.

Even though I understand her desire for independence, I can't help but think, Jesus, Anita, you don't have to bristle and argue about EVERYTHING. What the heck kind of relationship is that? Plus, she's just too dead set against the idea of monsters -- though I love that she has the honesty to admit that, even though she hates it about herself, she is indeed prejudiced. That neither Richard nor Jean-Claude are human enough for her, and it's unfair of her to think so, but she still does. It is unfair, of course; she's a little too inhuman for a normal man to put up with. I could probably handle marrying an animator, but not an animator who hung out with so many truly dangerous monsters. At least, it would be hard to handle, and so Anita has no room to criticize Richard, who at least doesn't want to be a monster and is honest about his feelings with her.

The other interesting moment with Anita was when she realized that she didn't go for her cross when Gretchen attacked her, but went straight for her gun, instead. She says she won't skip church any more, but I doubt that: her faith did not protect her in the last book, when, what was her name, Yasmeen, grabbed her; instead she ended up with another cross-shaped brand. What worked was the gun, so naturally that's what Anita would go for. Her real core belief is about survival, anyway; if she was a Christian first she wouldn't be so willing to do anything to survive. But she is willing, and so her Christianity is falling away, bit by bit -- and don't think her attraction to Richard and Jean-Claude, combined with her unwillingness to sacrifice her independence through marriage, can lead anywhere but sin. She'll get there, eventually. And I says, more power to her: the sexual revolution has come and gone, and it's a brave new world.

Otherwise: I liked Konrad and I'm ticked about how his part in the story ended up; I absolutely loathe Marcus, Raina, and Gabriel -- especially the masochist, there; that's just freaky. I liked the witch subplot, and wish more could have been done with it. I'm not sure how long Hamilton can go on whacking every single serious bad guy in these books; that's a real high turnover rate for villains. But since this book includes mentions of things like trolls and dragons, I suppose we have the near-infinite variety of all of the fantasy world to draw enemies from. All I know is, I'm going to keep reading these. A lot.

Animator, necromancer, called by vampires everywhere "The Executioner," Anita Blake is a feisty, independent, 21st century lady who can't seem to get a date with a human being. In "Lunatic Cafe," Book 5 of Laurell K. Hamilton's winning mystery-suspense-thriller-romance series, Anita is in love with Richard Zeeman, a kind and handsome science teacher who just happens to be a werewolf - an Alpha Male. Anita thinks she can deal with his "condition" enough to consider marriage. Then she starts to see another side of Richard - one he has tried to keep suppressed. Lycanthropy just happens to be the principal theme of this novel, so the couple's problem is topical. The charismatic Jean-Claude, vampire extraordinaire, and Master of the City of St. Louis, finds it hilarious that Anita doesn't think Richard is "human enough" for her. Jean-Claude is wildly attracted to Anita, and also lusts to share her powers, but she looks down on his advances because he is a vampire - and the Head Vampire, at that. One thing to remember about Anita - she does not want to be controlled EVER!!

Employed by Animators, Inc., to raise the dead, Anita's sideline is slaying vampires - the ones who murder humans. She collaborates with the police's Regional Preternatural Investigation Team when hunting the criminal undead. A call from her counterpart, Sergeant Rudolph Storr, informs her that a badly mutilated body has shown up in the hinterlands of St. Louis. A crime appears to have been committed, perhaps by a werewolf given the nature of the wounds. Anita is convinced that a supernatural creature is the killer...but what kind of creature? "If there were no prints, could it have flown in? A Gargoyle maybe? It was the only large winged predator that attacked men. Except for dragons, but they weren't native to the country, and it would have been a hell of a lot messier. Or a lot neater. A dragon would simply have swallowed the man whole. Gargoyles will attack and kill a man, but it's rare. Besides, the nearest pack was in Kelly, Kentucky. What else could it be? There were a few lesser eastern trolls in the Ozarks, but not this close to St. Louis." In any event, whatever killed the human, the local sheriff and cohorts are determined to hinder Anita from discovering the truth.

Meanwhile, Anita's greedy boss Bert, always out to make a buck, passes off a missing person's case on her. Several members of Richard's "lunarly disadvantaged" pack have disappeared. Richard is entangled in a fight over the leadership of the pack with fellow werewolf, and present leader, Marcus. And Jean-Claude is growing increasingly hostile about what he perceives to be a lovers' triangle. Rage, vindictiveness and jealousy, anyone? Anita may have removed Jean-Claude from the picture permanently, but according to Jean-Claude's ego, he is way ahead of all the competition.

As if this isn't enough to fill a book, a sub-plot concerning snuff/porn films involving lycanthropes and humans is revealed. The films and murders lead Edward, called "Death" by the vampires, to join the case, to the chagrin of Anita and the undead.

Dominance is a major issue in "The Lunatic Cafe." Aside from Richard vying for "leader of the pack" status with the unlovable Marcus, and Jean-Claude constantly asserting himself as Master Vamp of St. Louis, Anita has to constantly prove that she can take on all comers and still survive. And she is challenged all the time....and gets beat up badly, frequently, but does prevail.

Laurell Hamilton is at her best in "The Lunatic Cafe." She is an excellent writer who, with much flair and pizzazz, mixes fantasy with mystery, romance and dark humor. Her take on this derivative genre is a most unusual one. The mystery is at the fore of her novels and the supernatural takes second place, almost taken for granted as part of Anita Blake's natural world. And Ms. Blake is a delight - witty, savvy, hard-boiled, as in tough, and a major cynic with a tender heart. This gal has attitude with a capital "A." I highly recommend this series. A warning, however - to really enjoy these novels, and the characters' development, the books should be read in order. (at least the 1st four).

JANA

LC is the fourth book in the Anita Blake series. In this book, Anita has her hands full with things other than Zombie raising.
She sees herself falling in love with Richard, an alpha werewolf who is next in like for "top dog", but finds out that he is having problems facing the fact that he has to kill the Ulfric to take over his post. This makes her very angry.
Next, she finds herself being called in by the police to help solve a potential lycanthrope attack. After getting to the scene, she walks into a turf war with the two police departments involved. Fun Fun Fun.
NEXT, Anita goes home only to be drug into a meeting with the current Ulfric, Marcus. He wants her to find out what has happened to 8 missing wereanimals. She reluctantly agrees to help him where upon she is introduced to the dark world of thier lives.
And that is just the beginning!!
This book is jammed full of situations that Anita has to work with.. including a jealous female vampire who is in love with Jean-Claude who is, in turn, in love with Anita. It was a great book that shows Anita at her best!

This is the ?th reread of this series. I'm addicted and admit it freely. If I'm in an Anita mood, or a Merry mood, I always indulge. Why starve yourself when you can dive into a bowl of Laurell K Hamilton? Go ahead, you know that you wanna! ??

Overall I really enjoyed this story even though I only gave it 3 stars. In general I liked where the storyline was going; i absolutely love Richard, Anita's main love interest. Even though their relationship has been having up and downs, their conflicts stay very true to the character of Anita Blake. Her problems with dating Richard reflect how her character views the world. However, I'm very excited to see where their storyline goes!

I guess i didn't rate this 4 stars because I didn't feel the story to be a real page turner until the last 25% of the book, but i'll tell you those last few chapters are addictive and fantastic!!!

Still a good read, but I m being a little harsher with these books considering it is a 21 book series. So don't get me wrong, I <3 Anita Blake!!

Still a must read :]

In Laurell K. Hamilton's fourth installment of the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series, Anita gets a glimpse of boyfriend Richard's furry side. His werewolf side, that is. After 7 shapeshifters go missing, it is up to Anita to try and find them. While doing that, she is having to deal with a marriage proposal from Richard, a dating proposal from Jean-Claude, and a murderous proposal from the werebeast community. Busy, busy, busy.
This is not the best book I have read so far in the series. I took a long break from reading it in the middle of it, but I started back up the other day and had it finished off fairly quickly. I think maybe one of the reasons it seemed slower is because I'm not a huge fan of Richard. He's a nice guy and all, but a possible romance between Anita and vampire Jean-Claude seems much more exciting. This is definitely an Anita/Richard novel. Still, this book was fast-paced, fun and creepy all in one. This is all you could ever want in a series.

Genre: Fantasy/ Paranormal
Author: Laurell K Hamilton
Book: The Lunatic Cafe (#4)
My star rating: 5 out of 5
Will I re-read this? Yes

In the 4th book of this series, I must say that it keeps getting better and better.

In this book you have werewolfs, witches, One hot vampire and of course Anita Blake!

This was a book well written and read smoothly all the way through. Although I must say that I dont like Richard, and I want to read more about her first date with Jean-Claude.

I started out at the beginning of this series and I have to admit that they are definitely getting better. I liked this book most of all because it gave us more of a glimpse into the characters of Anita, Richard and Jean-Claude. This is the thing that's been missing from the others, an emotional connection to the characters. I felt it here. I enjoyed this book tremendously. I highly recommend you start at the beginning of the series. Don't let the gore of the first three scare you off. The worst book to get thru is the Laughing Corpse. After that, they do get better. Ms. Hamilton's writing style improves and you get more of a glimpse into Anita's personality, why she is the way she is. Plus, there is more sexual tension between Jean Claude and Anita, and between Anita and Richard. At the end of this book, I HAD to go get the next, Bloody Bones. Each book seems to give only a small taste of romance. I hope Ms. Hamilton gives us a bit more soon. I'm salivating.

With Anita Blake we can usually count on a lot of smart-mouthing, gutsy defiance of creatures that you'd think would tear her to pieces. It's enjoyable watching her win, and she's a definite fictional heroine to all of us who were undersized growing up.
What I like a lot about this book is the depth that is given on some of the social structure of the creatures Anita deals with. Hamilton's come up with some very creative stuff in this regard. On the weak side, though, the plot is overdependent upon her love interest(s). I don't want to spoil anything, so that's all the detail I'll go into, but for me this detracted from the book.
If you already like the series, you'll probably like this one more if you enjoy a strong romantic aspect, and less if you're more interested in the mystery/action angle.

I've been reading this series for a while - Ms. Hamilton's spin on a world where the supernatural (vampires, werewolves, etc) are real and part of every day life is very cool.
Main charcter: Anita Blake, vampire executioner, is a deadly babe herself and when she falls for the boyscout type of guy (and finds out a few interesting details about him) you wonder how these two will get along! (but that's for the next few books to cover).
Although, relationships play a strong part in this story. This is not a girl book - the body count and mayem will appeal to a very broad audience.
Though I do have one question: What the heck is up with the new book jackets? Until you reach book nine, there really is no explicit sex, but it certainly seems that's what the publisher is selling the whole series as!

I have enjoyed the Anita Blake series so far, but I was disappointed this time around. Anita's character was inconsistent with her attitude between Richard and Jean-Claude. Anita would NEVER allow Jean-Claude to interfere with her personal life and give in to his ridiculous proposal to date her against her will when she's so in love with Richard. As for the thrown-together mystery involving the murders of lycanthropes, I couldn't believe the author expected her readers to believe that within the same week, three seperate killers without knowing each other were killing them off. Sorry, this is just not credible. Not to mention the obvious tip-off when the "bad guys" show up. I'm starting to really be annoyed by Anita's attitude. She can't stop complaining about her life, no matter how good she has it. She is becoming unlikable as a character... and that's not a good sign.

The Anita Blake series just keeps getting better and better. Anita Blake the tough as nails vampire killer has a dilemma. Keep dating her werewolf boyfriend Richard or start dating the Master Vampire Jean Claude who has a thing for her. In between this love triangle we get to meet all kinds of other creatures that inhabit Anita's alternate world. Lycanthropic shape shifters, naga's, witches, vamps, bewitched swans and hints of other creatures like trolls. As usual there are some new enemies Anita has to deal with, including jealous vampires and redneck cops. Through it all Anita tries to balance a normal life with her preternatural activities. There is a good mystery here too: Who is kidnapping the were animals of St. Louis and where are they? I liked the solution to the mystery and getting there was a great ride. Can't wait to move onto Bloody Bones!

Overall the Anita Blake series is very good and The Lunatic Cafe is no exception. However, I did find that it started off awkward and a bit on the lame side. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the series but there several things about the character Anita Blake that annoy the crap out of me: 1) In a previous novel, she was portrayed as homophobic 2) She's a prude- she's saving herself for marriage because of one breakup- come on 3) I have a very hard time she's only 24 and 4) it bothers me she's religious. But I feel those are minor and don't really hurt the series any. What I do like about her character: 1) she doesn't drink alcohol; 2) her love of stuffed penguins despite her tough exterior and 3) she doesn't wear fur on moral grounds.

I think Laurell K. Hamilton does a fantastic job building up the sexual tension between the characters. I love the fact the chapters are short and my favorite thing about this particular Blake novel is that there are other creatures featured besides Vampires. I also love the fact that Hamilton brings up Wicca, although she doesn't really describe it much, nor would there be a point to her doing so. My one major complaint about the plot is that there is no resolution to the up in the air issue that is in Anita's life. But I don't want to spoil it for you. If you like the series, you'll like the book.

Let me preface this review by stating that I read the first four Anita Blake books back-to-back. I am done with the series after this book (maybe it was a little too much Anita at once...). While I like the Anita character, I was thoroughly annoyed with her relationships with screwed up men (or monsters as the case may be). Anita can castrate a human with no qualms, but she can't get out of a date with a vampire-come on! The character lost all believability for me in Lunatic Cafe and Circus of the Damned. The conversations between Anita, Jean-Claude, and Richard (Anita's werewolf beau) were torturous to plod through. For those of you that were under the impression these books were sexy, think again. Four books down and Anita still hasn't gotten any, turns out she's a prude... no sex before marriage, no drinking, but she will kill anything that looks at her the wrong way... Sigh. I probably expected too much after reading all the rave review from cult fans. Please keep in mind I liked the first two books enough to read two more, that's all folks.

A Review by Rachel
Anita Blake has fallen in love with the leader of a local pack of werewolves but the master if the city (vampire) will not let it happen. Anita tries to keep them from killing each other and keep her self out of line of fire and try to find out what happened to eight missing lycanthropes.
I loved how this book had no drags and that almost every little thing led to something big so it had no wasted time or drags. All the characters had an important role that made the story really came a live and with Anita's wits I really got inspired by the fact she looks out for her self and doesn't let a man do stuff for her even if she is having a hard time with it. The third best thing about this book was that there was not only a few high points here and there but they were every ware. Danger and suspense incased this book and won't let you go until you pass out from lack of sleep.
I would recommend this book to any vampire, lycanthropes, and mystery and romance lovers. It's a real adventure to read and it is very smooth to read.

We are introduced here to Marcus, Ulfric. We are also introduced to Raina, Marcus's Lupa. Both crazy and both bloodthirsty. What I like about Raina is she is also a balls-to-the-wall type of broad - just clearly much more insane than Anita. She needed to be throttled, because she was so evil.

I like the emotions here. Richard plays an interesting part and I like the inclusion of the swan king. Different. Never can picture swans as wereanimals. Definitely different!

The only thing that bums me out about this one is you can tell Richard is going to be lost to Anita forever. When they first began, Richard had his stuff together. He was seemingly strong and wanted to fight for justice within his pack. Anita and he start dating and all goes to hell. After this book, Richard just gets annoying and judgmental. Cant blame Anita for wanting more.

Enjoy it...its worth a ride.

this is one of my favorites from the series. Mostly because it deals with werewolves as the main characters this time. There's been a werewolf in the first three books, but they didn't transform into one until the third book. I think from this book you can see how far Laurell has grown as an author.

The only thing dumb about this book i would say is the cover!!! Just bogus and dumb. I'm a guy and I've gotten a lot of funny looks when i leave this thing lying around. (i've since learned to put a book on top of it or turn it over. The artwork is so irrelevant and dumb) My only beef but that's the company's fault. I don't think Laurell has a say over artwork.

Anita Blake is a definite favourite of mine. But Anita! You really disappointed me in this one. The story and the storyline was, as usual, great. Anita has to deal with some horrible murders with a distict supernatural touch, and from the beginning it becomes clear, that this book is not so much about vampires as it is about shapeshifters. There is something wrong about these murders, apart from the supernatural aura about them. Someone or something is on the loose, and pretty soon, Anita is too close to the trail for comfort. And on the same time, she is having major second thoughts about her boyfriend Richard. In the last book, she found out that he was a shapeshifter, and in this book, she is trying to deal with that fact. Another reviewer has written about Richard and the difficulties for the reader accepting him as Anita's boyfriend. I agree. I find Richard disgusting, no matter how beautiful he is supposed to be when not being a werewolf. This is why I can 'only' rate this Anita Blake book with 3 stars. But, apart from this, Lunatic Cafe is a light, funny, scary and good read.

The Lunatic Cafe has got to be one of the most fascinating books ever written on werewolves/shapeshifters. I love the earlier Anita Blake novels, and this is definitely one of the best. The book is named after a cafe that is frequented by werewolves, and that is where the St. Louis pack goes. Anita ends up being caught in the middle of a conflict between the leader (alpha) of the pack Marcus, and her werewolf boyfriend Richard (the beta or second in command).

This novel will just suck you into the story and not let go until you are done. I have re-read it several times, and feel it is one of LKH's best books. The insight into the pack and the rules and order of it are just so very fascinating and amazing to read. You have to read this book! It is a 10 star book, and an unique one in the paranormal field. No other author has managed to write such a book on werewolves and the pack. 10 stars!

What do you do when you want to date a hot werewolf, who is completely respectable and normal (normal for a were at least), but have the hots for your vamp master too? Poor Anita, I wish I had that problem. Someone has been killing shifters and it is up to her to find out who. The character of Anita is a paradox, because she who wants sleep with vamps kills them for a living. What a conundrum to be in. My personal favourite, who could be a possible romantic interest in the future is Edward, he is so cold and yet weirdly compassionate at the same time. Good read.

Although her characters are still shrugging and sighing, they are starting to form an interesting soap opera in the horror world. Kudos to Hamilton for being able to keep us interested after 4 books and anxious to continue reading, even poorly written stories. Here, we look more at werewolves and we find that Hamilton is torn between writing a soap opera, a horror story, or romance fiction. I think that her endings still wrap up too quickly, but they keep me hoping for more in the next book. Her endings leave us drooling for the next step and when we pick up the next book, we must struggle for too long to get the pay off. I would venture to say that setting the storyline is her strong point, but endings need more work.
Werewolves, vampires, porno, they go hand in hand...

This book does not hold back on punches with the amazing story that will hold you in until the climatic finish. I love Anita Blake and just started reading her recently. (Yes, I know that the tons of sex is coming up.) Anyway, Richard did not bother me much in Circus of the Damned, but in this book I had to grit my teeth to get through his scenes. He's very overly whiny and clingy. It annoyed me alot. I'm not a Jean-Claude fan (I know I'm going to hear hell about this.) but Richard made him seem fantastic! Besides Richard, this book was spectacular! Raina has to be one of my favorite bad characters of the series.

My first venture with this author, and it was well worth it! Fascinating story. Inventive and moves along quickly and smoothly. Characters are verrry interesting. Much badassery and wiseassery!
Audio Performer does a superior job of bringing each character to life. So grab your running shoes and enjoy!

Lunatic Cafe is one of my favorite Anita Blake novels. This one lets us delve deeper into the lives of werewolves. Anita finds herself sucked into a power struggle between alpha werewolves and on the run from a vampire who wants to kill her out of jealousy for Jean-Claude. Life is never easy, or quiet, in Anita's world. The book juggles several plot points, but Ms. Hamilton handles deftly -- her writing style and technique continues to improve. I really enjoyed learning more about the world of the werewolves, and this book really establishes Richard as a strong, but troubled, leading man in Anita's life.

I didn't really like this book that much because (like some people have already mentioned) Anita seems a bit arrogant and full of herself. She complains alot about her life too, and that just doesn't help make this book better to read. Another thing is that (like someone mentioned already) the fact that two killings by two different groups of people in the same week doesn't seem credible. I also didn't like how Anita kept Richard hanging, and I can't believe she agreed to date Jean-Claude. Overall, this book wasn't that great, the plot was okay so I rate it three stars.

Now there is a weird book right. Anita Blake, the rock hard, Vampire Slayer, is still going out with Richard, the second in Comand of the local wolf pack. Then you should throw in Jean-Claude, the Master vampire of the City, who also has a thing for Anita. A jealous female vampire that wants Jean-Claude, and firmly believes that Anita is the only thing in the way. Then enter Marcus, the Leader of the Wolf Pack, that is having a little trouble with Richard, and wants to drag Anita in the middle of all the trouble. Not too forget, the crooked cops, that have a problem with Anita, simply because she is Female. Then there is Raina, the Lupa, or girlfriend of Marcus, who wants Richard dead, Gabriel, who leads the Leopard Pack, and eight different Shifters that are missing. One Naga that is skinned, and Kaspar, the Original hunter from the Swan Princess, the Original version, where the big bad hunter is taught a real lesson, and he wants revenge. If you mix all of them together, and still don't see trouble, then add everyones favorite Bounty Hunter Edward, and a nasty snuff movie, in which the Starlet dies, and Edward needs to avenge. Now if you don't see trouble, you should see an excellent book.

"The Lunatic Cafe" was one wild ride. I dont know how Ms. Hamilton does it, but I swear the woman is brilliant. I have never been this addicted to a book. I absolutely COULD NOT put this down. In fact, its been that way with every book in this series thus far. My only problem now is that I have to wait for the next one to arrive. Until then I shall be watching my mail impatiently for the next installment. GO out and buy these books..you wont be sorry!

Lycanthropes are missing and it's up to Anita Blake to find out where they are and who's responsible. You'd think that would be enough to keep her busy. But no. Anita's not only dating one of the pack's alpha males, but she's also got a jealous vampire nipping at her heels. What's a girl to do? If the girl in question is Anita Blake, you can be sure it will be something interesting.
Laurell K. Hamilton has created a world full of magic, mystery, things that go bump in the night...and love.

Gretchen really hates Anita, and tries to kill her, not a good idea Jean-Claude won't let anything happen to his ma petite, but Richard also has a thing for her and tries to keep her safe, but now she has her hands full fighting to save her friend's by keeping his intestines in place after an attack, then she has to make sure she and her friends make it out of the hunt alive.

Lycenthropes are going missing...Anita is on the hunt.

Anita Blake is getting better and better. I didn't like Jean Claude in this one though...he was too cold and mean. Still, Anita is getting more developed as a character and I'm not really caring about her relationships with these people. The whole always do what's right thing, even at her own peril, was getting on my nerves and in this novel she does more of what needs to be done.

And the chain of great book continues! I absolutly loved the characters in this book and it was so well written. We get to see a whole new side of Anital as she struggles with her feelings for Richard, adn how his "once a month furries" might interfer with their realationship. Not to mention the fact that the master vampire of the city is extreamly jealous of their relationship. This was a great book and I couldn't put it down for a secon

I really enjoyed this book. Laurell K. Hamilton has done it again. The triangle Hamilton has created is better than ever. Reading about Richard, Jean-Claude and Anita is always fun and exciting. The case/mystery that Anita solves in this book is also very good. I did not put all the pieces together until the very end. This book also tells more and more about the Werewolves and how their pack functions. Hamilton does just a great job of giving the reader a lot of information about the world she has created and makes this a hard one to put down until finished.

Anita is back in another great book. If you're new to the series, you can still pick up the book and know exactly what's going on-which is pretty rare. A must have for any paranormal romance collection, offering steamy scenes and dark humor that ensure you'll be glued to the pages from page one until the very end. Laurel K Hamilton is very talented, and writes an amazing story--be sure to check out her other series!

This is the first book that I have read by Laurell K. Hamilton, but it was great. Finally somebody has gotten past the whole deal of nobody believing in supernatural creatures despite overwhelming evidence. The struggles between Richard and Jean-Claude, and Richard and Marcus were very interesting. This book had everything: suspense, murder, mystery. Now I want to read the rest of the books, preferably starting with the first one.

One of the better books in the series. This read through reminded me how much I use to like Richard. It made me feel all nostalgic. Sadly, Richard and the wolves get on my nerves in a big way now but I'll always have the memories. I really liked the mystery(s) in this one and it was great to read about Anita interacting with her cop buddies again. Jean-Claude is kind of scarce in this book which may annoy some of his hard core fans. It's not really a big problem for me.

Anita is back in another great book. If you're new to the series, you can still pick up the book and know exactly what's going on-which is pretty rare. A must have for any paranormal romance collection, offering steamy scenes and dark humor that ensure you'll be glued to the pages from page one until the very end. Laurel K Hamilton is very talented, and writes an amazing story--be sure to check out her other series!

This is the first book that I have read by Laurell K. Hamilton, but it was great. Finally somebody has gotten past the whole deal of nobody believing in supernatural creatures despite overwhelming evidence. The struggles between Richard and Jean-Claude, and Richard and Marcus were very interesting. This book had everything: suspense, murder, mystery. Now I want to read the rest of the books, preferably starting with the first one.

One of the better books in the series. This read through reminded me how much I use to like Richard. It made me feel all nostalgic. Sadly, Richard and the wolves get on my nerves in a big way now but I'll always have the memories. I really liked the mystery(s) in this one and it was great to read about Anita interacting with her cop buddies again. Jean-Claude is kind of scarce in this book which may annoy some of his hard core fans. It's not really a big problem for me.

I loved it....loved it...loved it. Anything by Laurell K. Hamilton is great. Anita Blake just keeps getting better an better. I just finished reading her latest one DANSE MACABRE it was great. As soon as her books are released in Hard Back I snap them up. I would recommend that you start from the very beginning of the series so that you can understand everything that is going on and has gone on in the past.

Anita Blake is dating Richard, a werewolf. His pack leader wants her to find out what happened to 7 missing shape shifters. Jean Claude, the vampire, is not happy about her new relationship. Gretchen is in love with Jean Claude, and wants to kill Anita. Sounds convoluted, but this is actually a very exciting and gripping book. I couldn't put it down until I finished and was tempted to start again right away.

Once again, the author keeps the action coming. L. Hamilton does a great job of letting her female lead be stone cold tough when she needs to be without losing the soft, but down to earth feminine side. Anita is one tough customer,who ya just can't help but like. The guys in her life are just as interesting. One can't help but understand Anita's dilema in chosing-they both seem tasty. Any of L. Hamilton's books are a good, entertaining read. While not necessary to understand them, do start at the beginning of the series for the most enjoyment.

So I needed a Vamp fix after Black Dagger Brotherhood (best series I have read so far action, drama, passion, romance ...the works). So I decided to check out Anita Blake, it was not what I expected there has been no romance, or steamy scenes of any kind so far Im on book 3....but I AM NOT disappointed the action and drama is fast paced. I love a cycnical kick @$$ chick. I bought the first 11 and intend to read them all. It's a great series, very gory, gritty, and abit scary I LUV it;)Hard to stop reading once you start! I just wish she would get with Jean-Claude already... besides Richard is too good for her:)

Anita begins to get over herself, then finds out the sweet teacher guy she wants to shag is really into the turn furry and howl at the moon thing.

The were side of Richard draws her into the lycanthrope society more and more as time goes on and she discovers what really happens there.

Prono snuff films are not what you would really expect to come up with when you think werewolf, but there you go.

Some investigating and bad guy stopping to be done.

_Lunatic Cafe_ is the fourth book in the Anita Blake series. It introduces readers to the werewolf pack that Richard belongs to, when Anita is called on to help them discover who has been killing shapeshifters. Jean-Claude, Master Vampire of St. Louis, also plays a part, as he happens to have an interest in Anita and the local werewolf pack. A very cool book that I highly recommend.

So, I started with the first book in the Anita Blake series and will begin book 5 and have done so in 2 weeks time. Once I start I cannot put these books down! Lunatic Cafe showed a little softer side of Anita and I noticed in some reviews a few people did not enjoy her more vulnerable romantic side. But, I think it endears me more to Anita since we all go thru a roller coaster of emotional changes in our lives. She still has it!

This book is definately a turning point for Anita and the gang. The violence has taken on a new, not-just-for-survival quality. The naga in this book doesn't follow the rules she set for naga in the previous book, but he's more of a prop than a character, so its no big deal. Overall, I like this one a lot, its much more believable and I love the character development. I did feel like the Richard-Anita dynamic was a bit rushed - but it worked. Anita is still clinging to her humanity and being horrified by everyone else's monstrosity. *****spoiler*** I do like how annoying Jean-Claude is being about the engagement.

This is the fourth Anita Blake book I've read, and I am truly enjoying the character, and the world, that Laurell Hamilton has created. With every book, you get another revelation of just how different a place Anita's St. Louis is from the real one. While vampires are commonplace as characters in books, Hamilton's vampires are her own creation. Added to that are the shapeshifters (not limited to werewolves), and now we learn there are even gargoyles, trolls and fairies in Hamilton's world. I can't wait to get to the next adventure to hear about Anita mixing it up with the latest batch of preternatural beings, including her not-quite-human boyfriend, and her undead suitor.

I guess I'm getting old because the amount of violence in this book turned me off a bit. I also think the love triangle is bit contrived. That said, I still enjoyed the book and will continue to read the series.

I loved this series and it's a real disappointment to rate this one as sub-par. In a nutshell - too much schoolgirl romance / sex and not enough of what got me there in the first place - action and horror. What worries me is that reader reviews of the subsequent books suggest this imbalance gets even worse.
I'll probably read the others but after I've given Anita a bit of a rest ...

Who's attacking the lyncothropes (spelling?) of St. Louis? Not only does Anita Blake take on the investigation of missing-non-humans, but she's fallen in love with a handsome very-thing- she-is-hunting!! Choice. Choices. This book is breakneck action pitting Anita against furry folk and vindictive vamps. All this rises to a peak that shows a dark side of Anita. Choices. Choices.

Great book. Good plot. But why don't I like Anita's boyfriend at all. Richard is not a very likable character for me. I think Jean-Claude is much better. He's the kind of character that you keep hoping he'd pop up. But Richard, ughh. Even the character Phillip (from the 1st book) is more likable than Richard. Hamilton introduced so many new characters and breeds into this one that it's too confusing and boring somewhat.

this series is basically my paranormal encyclopedia. . . it always seems like every book i read after is just a book but these are the "real way its supposed to be" hahahah. . . .definately the best vampire/paranormal series ever written i think

The Anita Blake series just keeps getting better and better as I read through. I loved how this one put a little love in Anita's life. Jean-Claude continues to persue her in this book but feels threatened with her new love interest. Stronger then ever Anita is at her finest.

Yeah she is a master storyteller. LOve the conflicts she sets up in the main character...little but tough...hates monsters but loves a vamp and a werewolf...pretty but mean...has a friend that may kill her...or she may kill him... conflict conflict conflict...YES I am still hooked...

The first Anita Blake novels are supremely crafted with impossible characters who seem absolutely real. In Anita, Hamilton blends the sacred with the secular to create a wonderfully intense internal conflict. Definite keepers.

I am a new fan to the Anita Blake series. I have found myself totally intrigued with these stories. This one was pretty good but I got lost near the end. But I will continue to keep up with Anita and her ghoully friends!

This is a banal text, poorly written in every regard. Though Hamilton may have a sense for action beats in her works (which she should at this point in her incredibly-long career), everything else is marred by her lack of skill at dialogue, description and knowing when to sit back and let the story work, rather than filling it with endless, meaningless "witty" quips from her narrator. The characters are stock and unlikeable, but only because they are completely devoid of originality.
If her other works are anything like this one, then she will have a statue erected in her name in the literary hall of shame before it is all said and done.

This was one of the if not the greatest book I've ever read! It combines witty humor with the blood and gore of a traditional horror story. A good book if you like graphic depictions and harsh revenge.

considering that the lunatic cafe was the first book i read of laurell K. hamilton, it ruined the effect that some characters would have had in the earlier books. my recomendatation is that you should read the first book guilty pleasures, before this one, the fourth book in the series. I thourghly enjoyed this book, totally to the extreme. im actually a young writer myself, and its because of these books that i came to that decision. Thank you laurell.

A lot if words spent on Anita's problem with choosing between Richard and the Master of the City. The story was good, I enjoyed the interaction with Titus and his underlings. Anita rocks, I just get a little tired of the romance end of it.

I've read several books in this series (including the short story in Bite), I've given Hamilton more than a fair shot, but this is it. The plots are interesting. Jean-Claude is saucy, but it's not enough. The heroine is a self-righteous, self-absorbed hypocrite whose mouth should've gotten her killed by book two. My biggest issue is the writing itself. The grammar and sentence structure are atrocious and they don't get any better the further into the series you go. In fact, they get worse, and shame on Jove publishers for continuously overlooking these problems. I refuse to waste anymore of my money on Laurell K. Hamilton until she finds an editor. Vote against this review if you like, but if you've ever had an English class you know it's true. If you can't see it, take another English class. This is unacceptable.

this has to be the best series that i have ever read. anita blake is this kick ass chick who has her own rules and answers to no one. she is short and sexy and legally get to kill vampires and anything that goes bump in the nite. i love dangerous women as main characters and this is the best ive ever read you will not be disappointed....

Another good book but very slow not the vastness the first three were....it could have been a lot shorter it there wasn't so much wasted chapters. but looking forward to the next one and hoping it will be a lot better...

I love all of Laurell's booksI read them when I cant find new stuff to read. I have her entire collection and am looking forward to the new book that will be out soon (although I do not enjoy every year when a new book is scheduled to come out the date keeps being pushed back)

I WANT MORE. LAURELL K. HAMILTON HAS DONE IT AGAIN, FOLKS. I CAN'T WAIT TO READ THE NEXT ONE, BLOODY BONES. THE AUTHOR JUST HAS A WAY WITH WORDS. ANITA BLAKE IS A ROLE MODELS FOR WOMEN EVERYONE. THIS IS THE TYPE OF BOOK YOU JUST CAN'T PUT DOWN. I PROMISE YOU!!!

I probably would never have read this book had it not been for my little brother's interest in books of this sort. Anita Blake is a believable character that anyone can picture and relate to. This book sound more like an autobiography than a fiction work. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a slight interest in vampires, werewolves, and the like. SUPER BOOK!

This was not one of her better books in this series. Although I do like the fact that things finaly came to a head with Richard and Jean-Claude. I like her tough as nails exterior. This one was the same in that I read it in almost 1 sitting. Not one of her bests,but wonderful all the same!!!

Laurell K Hamilton has done it again! I first started with the end of the series Blue Moon, I got so into it that I went back and started at the beginning with Guilty Pleasures. Once I started there I couldn't stop! I can't wait until the next juicy book after 'Obsidian Butterfly'!

Ms. Hamilton's Anita Blake series is fun, scary, wrenching, exciting and deliciously kinky! I'm up to Lunatic Cafe, my favorite so far. I just love watching these characters develop - a real tour de force!

I havnet read the series, my friends recommended "The Lunatic Cafe" to me so i started reading and i LOVED it! It's face paced, intriguing and a great read! This may be the best book I've read in a long time! I cant wait to read more by Laurell K. Hamilton in the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter Novels and her other works! :)

This book is definitely a must read. I had a hard time putting it down. Laurell Hamilton knows how to put just the right amout of romance, mystery and fantasy together to create a story that flows from the first to last pages.

In this next installment of the Anita Blake series. When shapeshifters start coming up dead around the city Anita is pulled into more danger not to mention her dating life gets more complicated. I love this series very much and this book is just another great installment. Anita is a strong willed woman who knows what she wants and can get it while hunting vampires and raising zombies.

So I needed a Vamp fix after Black Dagger Brotherhood (best series I have read so far action, drama, passion, romance ...the works). So I decided to check out Anita Blake, it was not what I expected there has been no romance, or steamy scenes of any kind so far Im on book 3....but I AM NOT disappointed the action and drama is fast paced. I love a cycnical kick @$$ chick. I bought the first 11 and intend to read them all. It's a great series, very gory, gritty, and abit scary I LUV it;)Hard to stop reading once you start! I just wish she would get with Jean-Claude already... besides Richard is too good for her:)